Game apparatus.



J. A. WALLS.

GAME APPARATUS,

APPLICATION FILED JULY I3, 1916.

1 $13,562. Patented Jan.23,1917.

AV/I

183 Qzg W ATTORNEYS JOHN ABBET WALLS, OF BALEIMGRE, MARYLAND.

GAME A'EPARATUS.

Application filed July 13, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN A. lVALLs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and Improved Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention has for its object to provide an interesting naval war game, in which several war vessels of difierent types are represented, the war vessels of each type having surfaces marked thereon indicating vulnerable parts which the opposing players may endeavor to strike with members representing )I'OjGCtilQS and torpedoes which are fired from the turret and other gun and torpedo Positions on the vessel.

Another object of the invention is to provide each war vessel with means of measuring the distance it is moved, so that the movement of each vessel may be determined at each play under normal conditions, and also after being struck by a projectile at the vulnerable position indicating the engine compartment.

Additional objects of the invention will appear in the following specification in which the preferred form of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawings similar reference characters denote similar parts in all the views, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view representing a port or table on which the members indicating the war vessels are maneuvered, certain of the war vessels being shown on the table; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a member indicating a battle ship; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view showing one of the numerals which are placed on the war vessels to indicate the order in which they are to be moved; Fig. 5 is a perspective view indicating one of the members representing a torpedo; and Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views indicating the members which represent projectiles.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that a table or port 10 is provided on which the members indicating the war vessels may be maneuvered. On the table 10 I show one battleship 11, one battle cruiser 12, one destroyer 13, and one submarine 14; but it will be understood that any desired number of each war vessel of a certain class may be employed in playing the game. Should some players be found to be more Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 255, 1917.

Serial No. 109,052.

expert than others in playing the game, the evenness of the play may be regulated by giving the better player fewer war vessels, or war vessels of less power, so that interest in the game may be preserved, even when one player is much more expert in playing the game than his opponent.

Each of the members 11, 12, 13 and 14: has an opening 15 through its bottom. At this opening there is disposed a roller 16 which has trunnions 17 disposed in slots 18 in upwardly projecting portions 19 of the member. There is a mark 20 on the periphery of each of the rollers 16, so that the number of times it rotates may be determined. These rollers 16 are provided so that the movement of each war vessel may be regulated at each play, each revolution of the roller 16 indicating that the vessel at the time of the play has moved at the rate of ten knots. Before the engine compartment which will shortly be described on the battleship 11 has been in any way injured, the battleship 11 is permitted to move a distance twice the circumference of its roller 16. or at the rate of twenty knots, and the battle cruiser 12 before its engine room has been damaged by the enemys fire is permitted to move a distance equal to three times the circumference of its roller 16. or at the rate of thirty knots. The destroyer 13 is able at each play to move three times the circumference of its roller 16. or at the rate of thirty knots, and the submarine 14 is permitted to move a distance equal to the circumference of its roller 16, or at the rat of ten knots.

lhe engine compartments in the battleshin 11 are indicated at 21; the turrets are indicated at 22. and the magazines are indicated at 23. Should one of the large projectiles 24 strike a turret 22. it places that turret out of action. Should one of the large proiectiles 24 strike one of the engine compartments 21. it reduces the speed of the battleship 11, and after this has happened the battleship 11 is only permitted to move a distance e uivalent to the circumference of its roller 16. or at the rate of ten knots. Should one of the proiectiles 24 strike a magazine 23, the battleship 11 is sunk and the piece is removed from the board.

If one of the proiectiles 24 strikes a battle cruiser 12 between the lines 25 which represent the engine compartments and other vulnerable parts of the battle cruiser, the speed of the battle cruiser is reduced to ten knots, and the battle cruiser is only permitted to move a distance equal to the circumference of its roller 16. Should the projectile 24 strike one of the magazines 26 the battlecruiser 12 is sunk, and the piece is removed from the board. Should a projectile 24 strike one of the turrets 27, the turret is placed out of action.

One large projectile 24 or two small projectiles 28 will sink a destroyer 13, and one projectile, either of the large type 24 or the small type 28 will sink a submarine 14. One torpedo 29 will sink any vessel. Should one vessel be rammed, that is, be hit bow on by another vessel, the vessel rammed is sunk provided that it is smaller than the vessel which has rammed it. If the two vessels are of equal size and one rams the other, they are both sunk, and are remo ed from the board.

The battleship 11 when it leaves port carries twelve of the projectiles 24, and these projectiles 24 are carried on the battleship 11 on a ledge 30. The battleship is permitted to fire two of these projectiles 24 after each time the battleship is moved, one of these projectiles being fired from each turret 22, but it will, of course, be understood that when one turret has been placed out of action in the manner described, subsequently the battleship 11 is permitted to fire only one projectile 24 after each move.

The battle cruiser '12 when it leaves port carries nine projectiles 24, and fires two projectiles after each move, one from each turret, unless one of the turrets 27 has been placed out of action, after which the battle cruiser is permitted to fire only one projectile 24 after each move. Should both turrets 22 of the battleship 11 or both turrets 27 of the battle cruiser 12 be disabled, the battleship or battle cruiser may be used subsequently only for purposes of ramming.

The destroyer 13 when it leaves port carries two torpedoes 29 and six small projectiles 28, and the destroyer is permitted to fire one torpedo and one projectile after each move.

The submarine 14 carries two torpedoes 29, and is permitted to fire one torpedo after each move.

When playing the game, each player chooses his vessels, and these vessels are then numbered so that they will be played in rotation, numbers 31 being placed on the vessels as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. A place should be indicated at each side of the table which will be the players home port, to which he may move any of his vessels when making a play, in order to replenish the vessels ammunition, each vessel when it leaves port being permitted to carry only the ammunition prescribed above. 7 1

As a means of indicating the sides, I prefer to color the projectiles 24 and 28 and the torpedoes 29, so that one side will use ammunition red in color, and the other side will use ammunition which is blue.

In playing the game, the player having the red ammunition has the right to move first, and he moves one of his vessels the distance prescribed, after which the said war vessel may fire at one of the opposing war vessels. The projectiles 24 and 28 and the torpedoes 29 are preferably fiat in shape, and may be manufactured of bone or celluloid. and they are snapped like tiddley winks from the turrets, the projectiles 24 being fired from the turrets 22 or 27, the projectiles 28 being fired from any point on the destroyer 13, and the torpedoes 29 being fired from a position near the bow of the destroyer 13 or the submarine 14. No vessel is permitted to move or fire out of its turn,

and when a vessel has been sunk the side having the said vessel loses its turn for making a play.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a game apparatus, member representing a war vessel, and a wheel rotatably mounted on the member for engaging a supporting table, and having a distinguishing mark thereon to indicate the distance moved by the member.

2. In a game apparatus, a plurality of members in the shape of war vessels of different classes, each member having markings indicating vulnerable points, members representing projectiles which may be fired from one vessel at another vessel, and measuring means on one of the first mentioned members for indicating the distance which the last mentioned of the first mentioned members is moved.

3. In a game apparatus, a member representing a war vessel and having markings thereon indicating vulnerable points, and a wheel rotatably mounted on the member for engaging a supporting table to indicate the distance moved bythe member.

4. In a game apparatus, a member representing a war vessel with an opening through its bottom, and a wheel journaled in bearings in the member, with its periphery disposed at the bottom of the opening, the wheel having a mark thereon for the purpose specified. V V

5. In a game apparatus, a member representing a war vessel and having markings thereon indicating vulnerable points, there being an opening through the bottom of the member, and a wheel rotatably mounted on the member and with its periphery disposed at the bottom'of the opening, the wheel having a mark thereon for the purpose specified. I

6. In a game apparatus, a member in the shape of a War vessel having markings thereon of different areas and representing vulnerable points of difierent importance, there being an opening through the bottom of the member, and'a Wheel rotatably mounted on the member and With its periphery disposed at the bottom of the opening, the Wheel having a mark thereon for the purpose specified.

7. In a game apparatus, a plurality of members of different sizes in the shape of War vessels of different classes, and a second plurality of members in the shape of projectiles and of different sizes representing different calibers.

8. In a game apparatus, a plurality of members of difierent sizes in the shape of War vessels of different classes, a second plurality of members in the shape of projectiles and of different sizes representing different Calibers, and measuring means on each first mentioned member to indicate the distance the said member has moved at each play.

9. In a game apparatus, a plurality of members of different sizes in the shape of War vessels of difierent classes, a second plurality of members in the shape of projectiles and of different sizes representing different Calibers, there being an opening through the bottom of each member, and Wheels, one disposed in the opening in each member With its periphery disposed at the tlriotltom of the opening for the purpose speci- 10. In a game apparatus, a plurality of members of different sizes in the shape of War vessels of different classes, a second plurality of members in the shape of projectiles and of difierent sizes representing different calibers, there being an opening through the bottom of each member, Wheels, one disposed in the opening in each member with its periphery disposed at the bottom of the opening, and members representing projectiles disposed on each first mentioned member.

11. In a game apparatus, a plurality of members of difi erent sizes in the shape of War vessels of different classes, a second plurality of members in the shape of projectiles and of different sizes representing different Calibers, there being an opening through the bottom of each member, wheels, one disposed in the opening in each member with its periphery disposed at the bottom or" the opening, members representing projectiles disposed on each first mentioned member, and detachable numerals normally disposed on the first mentioned members to indicate their order of play.

JOHN ABBET WALLS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

